Disclaimer: Inuyasha does not belong to me.

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Tanglewood

Fae

…

She flew through the emerald forest, wings shimmering like whirling spider silk. Twisting and turning, she dived under low hanging branches and swept up in tempting spirals, barely rustling the late spring leaves that quivered and whistled in the wind.

Long onyx hair flapped and fluttered all around her, bright blue eyes wide and ears pointed, tuned into the natural life resonating all around her. This was her haven. This was her very sense of self, the energy which flooded her soul with warm renewal and made her smile like nothing else could.

She grabbed a thin tree branch, effortlessly used it to propel her further into the air before she plummeted and swooped up to even greater heights, a trail of fae dust behind her.

'Kagome…Kagome…come here and come quick…'

She came to an abrupt halt, eyes drawn to the bright north of the forest.

'Is everything all right, Bokuseno?'

'Hurry, little one…'

She was already taking off, following the summons of the old willow tree.

…

"What is it?" Kagome asked curiously as she flew around its head, showering a good amount of shimmer on the prone form.

"A demon."

"A demon?" She floated in front of its face, her expression contemplative and a little confused. "What's wrong with it? Does it not move, Bokuseno?" she asked, poking it in the face several times.

The old willow laughed. "The demon is male, little one, and it appears he is gravely injured."

Her eyes widened and she quickly zipped around him, looking for the cause of his current state of unconsciousness. It wasn't long before she found the back wound, deep and bleeding heavily through his torn clothing.

"This is bad, Boku," she imparted, worry shaping her ethereal features.

"What will you do?"

Indecision warred within her. She couldn't very well leave him to die, not when she could do something about it, but to help another being outside her own kind...the rules forbade interference. Yet...Kagome bit her lip as she flew around his head.

I have to.

Decision firmly made, she murmured a quick chant and grew.

"You must be careful with that spell, Kagome. If others were to see you…"

Smiling reassuringly, the black haired fae gently patted the old willow. "I know...I'll take care so please do not worry."

"There is a cave by the sparkling river west of here. Perhaps it will be of some use to you."

Kagome nodded in thanks before hefting the injured human male up and over her shoulder as if he weighed little more than a feather. Tossing a last grateful smile at the ancient willow tree she took off, effortlessly blending in with the forest hazed in sunshine.

…

She lit the dark, earthy cave with firefly light before gently settling her demon bundle face down on the long patch of moss. Checking his pulse, she was dismayed to find that it had weakened along their short journey and that if there was any hope of saving him she needed to act now and fast.

Her hands quickly went to unclothe him, unbuckling the ties of his thick armor and peeling away the torn dirty remnants of his odd clothing. Pushing his messy bloodstained hair out of the way, Kagome sucked in a sharp breath when she saw the true extent of his wounds. With his red blood oozed a dark, forbidden taint. He'd been poisoned. Without wasting another moment, she quickly summoned water from the river outside and cleaned the deep laceration.

She then opened her small brown pack attached to her side and pulled out a small container, its contents a healing salve she'd created from various herbs and elements from the earth, infused with her own unique magic. She spread it across his back, working it gently into his skin before applying another thin layer. She then began the meticulous task of extracting the poison from his body.

As nightfall descended, Kagome wiped beads of sweat from her brow, finally able to breathe easier. Releasing a weary sigh, she sat back on her haunches and gazed at the dark mass in front of her. This was the work of ebon witches. No one knew how to brew such powerful, natural poisons like them. Gathering her elemental magic, she spun the darkness away, watching the poison turn to ash and disappear on the cave floor.

"Someone wanted you very dead..." she murmured, contemplating this latest development.

She could tell already that he was recovering. His color was coming back and his heart beat stronger. All good signs. Her salve was working—thankfully, since she hadn't been sure if it would work for demons—slowly disinfecting and healing, washing the pain away. He'd also suffered two broken ribs and minor cuts and bruises, injuries she had treated with earth spells and elemental magic.

He would be okay, she thought, taking it upon herself to clean his long silver locks of grime and blood. His face was next and after dabbing it clean, Kagome curiously studied him.

His demonic features were similar to a fae's, she supposed. Both of their races looked remarkably alike. He was lean and tall, body fit and hard with broad shoulders and a tapered waist. He was obviously a warrior, bore the markings of one or maybe they spoke of his heritage or rank? He didn't seem like a common soldier at all. Even lying unconscious on a bed of hunter green moss, he seemed very powerful and maybe just a little dangerous.

Kagome crawled closer, her hand reaching out to gently trace his facial features, from the line of his strong jaw to the bow of his lips, the patrician nose and high cheekbones, her fingers gently prodded and poked, brushed and caressed in abject curiosity.

He stirred and Kagome jumped away, clutching her hand to her chest as her sheer tunic swayed around her svelte body. Long black hair falling around her shoulders, she took a deep breath and cautiously peered at the strange demon male who was gradually awakening.

His eyes fluttered open only to fall half mast as an incoherent mumble left his lips. But she had caught the color of his eyes under the firefly light and marveled at the beautiful eccentricity. They were gold, tinted with a languid shade of amber that Kagome thought oddly fascinating. Did all demon males look like this?

She drew closer as his movements increased. Was he trying to get up? From the looks of it, it seemed as if he was and Kagome would have none of that. Her arm reached out to steady him before gently forcing him back onto the moss so he could get the much needed rest his healing body demanded.

"Where…" His eyes tried to focus on her, blink her into clarity as he swallowed hard.

Kagome hesitated before responding. "You are…safe. But you must rest and heal."

Grabbing the cup of fresh river water next to her, she put it to his lips and lifted, watching him slowly drink the cool liquid. Before she could pull away his hand grasped her wrist, but she easily twisted out of his hold.

"Sleep." She blew an earth spell across his eyes and watched him fall into a sudden, deep slumber.

Tilting her head to the side, she allowed herself a moment to quietly gaze upon the strange demon male she had saved. Had it been wise to do so? A wry smile touched her lips. Wise or not, it was already done and while he rested in these forests, he was her responsibility.

Kagome stepped out of the cave and into the very late hours of the night. Stars dusted the dark skies, reflected in the sparkling river to her left. The trees whispered their songs. The owls sang their wisdom. And she shifted into her true form, once again the size of a tree sparrow.

Not many knew of her ability to change into a larger form, a form she now realized as eerily similar to that of a demon. Bokuseno often warned her to be careful, as one never knew what lurked and hid in the forests. Secrets could easily be revealed and binding spells spun by pixies and dark elves. Kagome always took great care when she changed, usually only using it when she went herb and plant collecting for her different salves and liquid remedies.

It reminded her that she still needed to restock on a few night blooming flowers before the sun rose and to also gather some things from home. As she made a mental list of all the items she needed, Kagome placed a protection charm around the entrance of the cave to ensure her charge's safety. With a last glance backwards, she flew off with plans to return by the break of dawn.

…

When Kagome returned to the cave by the river, her satchel near bursting and with the sun just about to crest the horizon, she was glad to discover that everything remained as she'd left it. Aside from some animal tracks, there hadn't been any notable disturbances or any unwanted visitors around the area.

With a gentle wave of her hand, the protection charm shimmered out of existence and she made her way back in, eager to check on her patient.

Only to find that he wasn't where she'd left him.

She caught a quick shadow from the corner of her eye and spinning round, she came face to face with her demon. His arms were up, his stance defensive. She could tell he was ready to spring on her at any moment.

"Who are you?"

She clutched her satchel and took a step back, noticing how his glowing eyes followed her, scanned her up and down before quickly looking away. Was something wrong? Kagome tilted her head to the side, her own curious eyes trailing his tall, broad-shouldered form.

He tossed another glance her way. "Can you understand me?"

She could understand him perfectly. Kagome nodded, slow and a little hesitant. But concern seized her chest when she heard his sharp hiss. The metallic scent of his blood followed and she was reaching out before she knew what was good for her. His untrusting glare did little to frighten her however and irritation soon grabbed a hold of her. Dropping her arm, bright blue eyes flashed in the dim firefly light. How dare he ruin all her hours of careful healing?!

"You're not even healed yet and you've already reopened your wound!"

"I don't need your help," he ground out stiffly.

"I saved your life! You would've died if not for Boku and I. Demons are not supposed to be in these forests," Kagome snapped.

He grimaced as a bead of sweat trickled down his brow.

"Need it or not, you don't have a choice if you want to fully recover," Some of her bite had gone, replaced by a note of concern.

He wavered on his feet and ignoring his biting glares and guttural growls, slipped under his arm and forced him to lean on her. She could be just as stubborn as him. Thankfully, he didn't fight her and a moment later he was back on his soft patch of moss, face down and as stiff as a board.

"Relax," Kagome murmured, inspecting the wound. She gathered a warm wash cloth, gently patting the bleeding wound.

"Who are you?" he repeated.

She ignored him and taking some salve from her satchel, spread it across his back.

"What is that? If you dare—"

Annoyed, she shot him a glare. "Shhh, it's a healing salve. If I wanted you dead, I would've left you in the forest for the changelings to have their way."

Properly chastised, he bit his tongue and remained quiet.

"The blade that cut you, it was laced with an ebon witch's poison. You're lucky to be alive."

Much to her chagrin, he provided no elaboration on how he came to be in these parts.

"Someone must have wanted you dead," she tried again.

Stony silence. Releasing a sigh, she finished and moved away. "Please remain still. While I've dispelled most of the poison from your body, there are still traces of it that have slowed down your natural healing abilities."

Moving his head so he could see her, he eyed her curiously despite himself. Suspicion was still present, though not as strong as before. "Tell me who you are."

Kagome shifted closer and unable to help herself, brushed away a few strands of silver that had fallen across his eyes. "You tell me your story and I'll tell you mine."

...

The blade had been poisoned. He had known the instant its razor sharp edge had cut through his flesh. A searing pain had scorched his blood, sending him into excruciating agony. He remembered little of what had happened after but the events leading up to it were burned into his memory. The betrayal had been cold and swift and even now, still merciless. Fury consumed his soul and yet, so did sadness and disappointment.

Drawn from his inner turmoil, he watched his caretaker, silently wondering who she was since she still refused to tell him. Night had once again fallen and the cave was aglow with firefly light that cast a becoming glow on her rich dark hair and smooth skin. She was beautiful, inhumanly so and her ears were pointed. Svelte yet curved where it mattered and he almost snorted because she seemed completely at ease with her manner of dress, or lack thereof. The sheer tunic she wore did nothing to hide her from his perusal.

She seemed to be mixing some sort of concoction by the looks and smell of it, biting her lip in concentration. She sprinkled something into the mixture, summoned water and added that too. She suddenly looked up and caught his gaze.

"Are you thirsty? Hungry? In pain?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. He felt fine actually...and perhaps a little indebted to this mysterious female.

She gave him a small nod and smile before returning to her task.

He wondered if she was one of the elusive fae who resided in Tanglewood. His battle had been near the enigmatic forest, which is where he suspected he currently was. There were tales far and wide that within its emerald depths resided all manners of beings and creatures that demons such as him couldn't even fathom. Not many of his kind ventured this far north. Most remained in the inner Western Territories of his father's domain. Many spoke out of reverence for this place and others out of fear and awe. A part of him could understand why.

"You are fae..."

She looked up with sparkling blue eyes and tilted her head just so that it caused her dark locks to waterfall across her right shoulder. Thoughtfully regarding him for a few moments, she set aside her herbal remedies and drew closer to check on him.

"I am."

The healing salve must have dried as he could feel her peeling it off his skin. She hmmed in what sounded like a mix of appreciation and satisfaction. "You're healing very well." Her fingers fluttered across his sensitive skin and he felt an involuntary shiver skate down his spine.

"Tell me who you are," he softly demanded.

There was a pregnant pause before she moved to lay next to him. He was surprised she took the chance. He was a demon and she had no way of knowing how much he could hurt her if he wanted to. Turning to face him, she sighed.

"I suppose it's only fair since I already know who you are, Prince Sesshoumaru of the West."

He raised a brow and perhaps that was telling enough of his surprise.

"The forest talks," she revealed with a smile. "I'm Kagome."

"Kagome...fae of Tanglewood," he murmured.

"You should sleep. You are not fully recovered."

"I am a demon," he pointed out, as if that explained it all.

She laughed softly. "Yes, I am very aware of what you are, demon prince."

"Then you should know...that I...do not..." His eyes slowly closed and he distantly wondered why he was so tired all of sudden. His last thought before succumbing to hazy darkness was that it must've been some spell she had spun and that when he woke, she would not like the consequences.

...

"Find him. I want his body as proof that he is dead."

"But sire, an ebon witch's poison is guaranteed to kill that which it inflicts. It's impossible Sesshoumaru—" His head snapped to the side from the force of the blow, pain exploding across his face.

"Find me his dead body," he repeated with a venomous edge that bordered on manic. "Find it or you will forfeit yours. Am I understood?" The crunch of fingers being broken, a barely suppressed shrill of pain, echoed through the chamber.

"Y-Yes, sire, of course. I'll gather the hunters immediately."

...

... to be continued...

...

-demimonde